How Does Family Therapy Help?

The aim of family therapy is to educate all its relevant members about :

how family dynamics influence and maintain the behaviors of individuals within it

communication within the family

how adaptive (desirable) behaviors can be reinforced

ways in which the family can collaborate (work together) to solve problems within the family

It is often the case that, prior to such therapeutic intervention, the adolescent, due to his/her ‘acting out‘, was seen (by the other members of the family) as the source of the family problems but, as the therapy sessions unfold, it becomes apparent that, in fact, the collective dysfunction of the whole family is at the root of the issue.

It is also not infrequently the case that through the process of family therapy it is revealed that other members of the family, too, have serious psychological conditions which need addressing (e.g. many adolescent sufferers of BPD will have a parent with the same condition or a similar personality disorder such as narcissistic personality disorder). When this found to be the case, such parents can also be helped (assuming they are willing) by the therapist which can, in turn, help them to relate to their family in a healthier way, hopefully culminating in a less dysfunctional relationship between them and their adolescent child.

Another very important aspect of family therapy is the therapist’s close observation of non-verbal communication between the parents and the adolescent (e.g. body language, facial expressions, intonation etc). By carrying out such observations, the therapist can point out to the family when such non-verbal signals may be less than helpful.

Family therapy can also include group training in parenting skills which can provide parents with :